THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3500, 12 April 1921, Page 11

THE NORTH ISLAND.

(From Oub Own Correspondent.) The past week has continued beautifully fine, and the warm days which have prevailed have caused quite a Rood growth. Pastures all round show a wonderful improvement, and if frosts only hold off for another few weeks grass will, I am sure, make a wonderful recovery, evidence of which is already most marked." Turnip crops have already thrown off the aphis to a very large extent, and crops are looking much healthier. Dairying is pretty well at an end, but it has been an uncommonly good season. In every province where dairy operations have been conducted very satisfactory increases in output have been recorded. In the Auckland province, there has been a, very substantial increase, of butter, that supplied by the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company leaving no room for doubt on that score. During the past month the company received into its grading stores 91,350 boxes, as against 60,483 for' the corresponding period of last year, the increase being 30,867. In view of the fact that Thursday was the last day for receiving butter for export under the agreement entered into between the producers and the Imperial authorities, staffs were kept exceedingly busy all day. There was nothing of the go-slow policy shown in the handling, particularly at Auckland, where 11.590 boxes were handled, that quantity being just double the number received on any one day in the height of the season. While the quantity of cheese handled by the Auckland Farmers’ Company during the month just ended was less than that during the month of March of last year, the total for the season is substantially in advance of that for the corresponding period of last season, the resnective figures being 145,306 crates for 1920-21, and 128,260 crates f@r 1919-20. Dairying is unquestionably the test paying proposition to-day, when all farmers’ interests are placed in the basket, and it is confidently believed that next season will see a huge development, many sheep farmers having decided to give up wool-growing and go in for dairying. If that consummation is affected, the output next year will be most substantially increased, and there is no doubt that the world’s markets can easily absorb all that the Dominion can produce, especially as Russia is not likely to be an exporter for a long time to come. The prospects for dairying are, therefore, very bright, provided, of course, that farmers confine their expenditure as far as possib'e to increasing production. ON A GOOD WICKET. The dairy farmer, as previously indicated, is coming out of present conditions or. a remarkably good wicket, even though the price of butter-fat has suffered a slight drop owing to the end of the British Government contract for the purchase of our butter and the fall in price on the Home market, The wet spr : ng provided an unusually heavy crop of hay, and the weather was favourable for getting it into the 6tack in good condition, thus providing plenty of food for the cows in winter. The dry aut»mn, of course, had its bad effects, but the fine seasonable weather prevailing at present should do something towards increasing the grass in the paddocks. On the whole, the dairy farmer should be extremely thankful for his lot when he compares it with the sheep farmer who produces coarse-bred wool. At the, same time, he must be prepared for a slight fall in prices, and if he were wise he would see to it that his herd is well culled, and would on no account neglect the improvement of some. Bv that means hfc will be able to keep up his income, perhaps with fewer cows. Increased pfSduction should be the slogan. IX HAWKE’S BAY. As mentioned in a previous letter, southern Hawke’s Bay has teen getting a fair share of this season’s rain. Central and northern parts of the province, however, are not so fortunate. The day before these notes' were written conditions were such that rain appeared to be certain, but whilst local showers fell in some part’s, Hastings and along the line to Waipukurau did not receive any benefit of value. In Napier there were several showers during Monday night, but further south the rain was not sufficient to lay the dust, being only 22 points or one-fifth of an inch. A good fall of ram at this period, followed by a few weeks of warm sunshine and an absence of frosts would set the province up well for the winter, and it would particularly have most beneficial results on the dry area between Napier and Waipukurau. The absence of ra n is preventing _ the appearance of the mushroom crop, which is usually plentiful at this time of the year. GOOD SOLDIER SETTLERS. A tribute to the soldier settlers was paid by Mr P. .T. Small at a mooting of the Manawatu Land Drainage Board a couple of days ago. He said that he had been round some of the soldier settlements several times lately, and he was pleased to say that the soldiers struck him as being very energetic and go-ahead. They were very plucky, and had plenty of energy, and though some of them were up against it financially at the present time owing to the ! bad season, ho was sure that they would ! come out of it all right, j LIMITATION OF WOOL OFFERINGS t Evidently the Government is not letting ! the grass grow under its feet in respect to I the decision of the Producers’ Conference, recently held at Wellington. Negotiations have been opened up with the British i Government, the British-Australian Wool | Realisation Association, and the British \ Wool Importers’ Association on the lines j suggested by the conference —namely, to \ provide for the limitation of offerings of New Zealand wool to correspond with the monthly consumptive demand. It is Hoped that beneficial results will follow, as the wool business is very sick indeed. GRAIN IN HAWKE’S BAY. During the last 12 months the only wheat available in Napier district has been that contained in mixed feed, which lias not been as popular as vendors hoped, but during the past few days a quantity of Australian wheat has arrived, with the promise of a continuous supply. W bile tho j reappearance of wheat is welcome to the j poultry-keeper, the price is very high—viz., j 15s 6d" per bushel of 601 b. Tho New Zcal land crop, which should soon be available, I will probably be sold at 10s 6d. Oats of ! good quality are obtainable at 5s 9d pec bushel of 401 b. Mixed feed is retailing at Hastings at 7s per bushel of 401 b. Barley pollard' (produced in Napier) is being placed on the market at 3s 6d, and appears to be j a good sample.

the greedy aggregator. • There were many complaints recently about land aggregation, but if all I hear is true several of these aggregators are cursing the day they increased their own lioldj ings tv acquiring their neighbours’ broad 'acres. The depression of markets and the financial stringency have hit them hard. THE OAT MARKET. A very dull market is reported for oats. It was thought that the lower prices ruling for this grain would have increased the demand, but up to the present such has not realised. Growers of oats have not The advantage of those who planted wheat in having a Government guarantee. As a 'matter of fact, with the increased cost of labour, etc., oats at the present figure arfi certainly not a paying crop to grow, and the result may be that next season a much will be planted in oats and an eased area go down in wheat.

RABBIT NUISANCE. Prosecutions under the Rabbit Act were again featured in the Cromwell Court (wires our correspondent). The first case yesterday was one against Wm. Bell, of Tarras, ! in respect of 3000 aores agricultural and * pastoral • land at Tarras. The defendant pleaded not guilty, but after hearing ovii deuce, the Magistrate (Mr E. C. Levvey, ; 8.M.) imposed a fino of £SO and costs, and | in doings so said be thought lie had issued | enough warnings, but it seemed that the in--1 struct,ions given by the inspectors were still i being ignored. In such cases in future he I would be inclined to take advantage of ■ the provision of the Act and give the inspectors power to enter and clear the land at tho expense of the landowner. The second case was against Hyde Bros., lessees of 18 800 acres in the Tarras district. The case occupied some time, defendant endeavouring to show that after a conversa-

tion with the inspector he considered he was doing satisfactory work. The Magistrate, summing up, convicted and imposed a fine of £SO and costs. His remarks were to the effect that the onus of ascertaining tho department requirements after the receipt of notice wore with tho defendant. FROZEN MEAT FREIGHTS. SYDNEY, April 6. A cable message sent to Australia on March 23 stated that the London manager of tho Commonwealth Steamship Line was introducing cut rates for frozen meat cargoes. As a. result of this announcement shippers here co-operated, and then approached the Commonwealth Line for space at the reduced rates; but they were informed that no space would be available at these rates till next year. They complain that this misleading announce-

ment has involved them in heavy losses. The overseas shipowners now officially state that the reduction hurriedly announced by the management of Commonwealth Line was really made by the British Food Ministry on March 23, to operate until the end of the present month. From that date the shipping companies were freed from control and were at liberty to fix their own rates.